Fisherfolk group demands justice for 14 missing fishermen after sea collision
A fisherfolk group is calling for justice for the 14 Filipino fishermen who went missing in the waters off Mamburao town in Occidental Mindoro after their fishing vessel collided with a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship last weekend.

(Photo by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)
“The full-force of the law should be applied against this foreign vessel and the government should act fast to rescue the victimized fisherfolks,” said Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) chair Fernando Hicap.
“We have high hopes that our authorities are able to find and get justice for the fishing crew that went missing,” he added.
Bulk carrier M/V Vienna Wood sank F/V Liberty 5 after the collision, leaving 12 Filipino fishermen and two other passengers missing at sea. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had yet to find any survivor from the ill-fated boat as of Tuesday afternoon.
Pamalakaya likened this latest maritime incident to last year’s sinking of F/B Gem-Ver by a Chinese ship near Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. The vessel abandoned the 22 Filipino fishermen from the sunken boat.
The fisherfolk group also said the June 28 incident was not a simple collision but a "hit-and-run resulting in the 14 fishing crew missing up until now.”
Anakpawis, another progressive group, urged authorities to expedite the search and rescue operations for the missing Filipino fishermen.
“All must be exhausted by the government to save the fishermen victims,” said former Anakpawis Partylist representative Ariel Casilao.
The group said the owners of sunken F/V Liberty 5, the Irma Fishing and Trading, Inc., should not abandon the fishermen and hold accountable those who are responsible for the collision. (Raymund F. Antonio)